Soul of a Predator

by Angela Verdenius

  "Take down the guards outside quietly,” Shaque ordered. “things are going to start happening in here very quickly."

  Stepping over the dead bodies, they moved, one each side of the door to the dining room, crouched down, and peered inside cautiously.

  Standing to one side of the dining room stood the tall imposing figure of Meekta, Head of the Intergalactic Peace Ship Council. Huddled against him was a woman that could only be his wife.

  On the other side of the room stood Sarita, her beauty wondrous, the cruelty glittering in her eyes. In front of her she held a little girl who could have been no older than six years of age. A dagger was at her cheek, the tip already drawing blood.

  "How many soldiers do you have onboard?” Sarita demanded.

  "I don't know. It's not my department."

  "Wrong answer.” The tip of the dagger swept up, leaving a thin ribbon of blood on the crying child's cheek.

  Meekta started forward, his eyes wide in horror, but halted when Sarita pressed the blade just under the child's eye. “I'll stab her right in the eye if you try anything smart, Meekta."

  He stopped, breathing hard.

  "Now what I gave her was just a little scratch, something that will heal quickly with no scar. Next time, she won't be so lucky."

  "You don't mean to let us go anyway!” Meekta's wife wrung her hands, her pretty face tear stained. “You're going to kill us!"

  "Possibly,” Sarita agreed. “But you don't know that for sure. I'll still carve up your pretty little girl if I don't get the answers I want."

  "Take me, then!"

  "But I like children so much better. They cry so sweetly.” Leaning down, Sarita placed her cheek on the child's head. “And the younger they are, the more baby soft they are, and the prettier they cry."

  "Mummy...” the little girl stared at her mother.

  "The outside guards are down,” Abra said in Shaque's ear.

  "I can't see exactly how many are in the dining room,” Shaque swore softly.

  Elyse watched the proceedings without expression. Shaque saw the glint of red in her eyes when her head turned slightly, the gleam of rage, and saw the lifting of her upper lip.

  "Maybe if I kill this little girl, Meekta,” Sarita sneered, “then started on your other one held by my most faithful guard in the back, that might loosen your tongue."

  "No!” He held up his hands. “No, don't—"

  "You need an example of how serious I am. It's been so long since I felt the blood of an innocent on my hands. You'll still have another one.” She raised the dagger.

  There was no more time to lose.

  Before Shaque could push upright, Elyse shoved up, threw the door open and burst in with a roar.

  "Goddamn!” Shaque followed her through fast, going down low, his laser sweeping the big room. “Pack move in now!"

  * * * *

  Fury beat through Elyse as she faced the stunned people in the room. Meekta, his wife and two guards stood gaping at her.

  But it was Sarita she wanted. The woman was staring at her in horror. In recognition. Sarita knew her, and not just as Elyse the ex-space pirate.

  But as Elyse the mutant.

  Frozen, the dagger still in her upraised hand, Sarita's mouth opened and closed several times, and then she started yelling orders.

  "Shoot! Shoot the bloody mutant! Shoot her!"

  Laser fire burned across Elyse's back, but she barely registered the burn as she launched herself across the room.

  Sarita threw the child away from her and started for a door in the side of the room.

  A guard appeared in front of Elyse, but she swatted him away like a fly.

  Laser fire peppered the room behind her, more guards poured through the doors. The glass in the window smashed inwards as a boot was shoved through the window.

  Men's voices shouted, wood splintered distantly.

  Shaque's voice cut through the din. “Abra! Get Meekta and his family out! Go! Go!"

  The room exploded in fighting, the eight guards against Shaque, Jarvis and Vane, both of whom came through the window.

  Abra was sheltering Meekta and his family with his body, pressing them back against the wall, his seeking gaze trying to find a safe way around the fighting throng.

  One guard turned to Elyse, and she roared at him, reaching out and snapping his neck with one quick twist of her hand.

  He fell without a sound.

  But it wasn't him she wanted, it was Sarita, the one who had played God with fetuses, and the one who murdered children.

  Rage pumped through her, and she smashed her way through the door that Sarita had just gone through.

  A small explosion on the left sent her stumbling into a huge glass cabinet. The glass shattered, but she ignored the slash on her arm and lunged forward.

  She came out in a back corridor in time to see Sarita going up the stairs at a flat run.

  Elyse bounded up, taking the steps three at a time.

  "Sarita!” Her voice thundered through the house.

  At the top of the staircase, Sarita sprinted down the corridor. Elyse sprang up the last few steps and saw her disappear into her room, the door slamming shut.

  She started in the same direction, and wrenched the door open.

  Sarita stood near the viscomm, which was blinking. “Hold it right there, Elyse."

  Snarling, Elyse started forward.

  "I've unleashed a playmate for you.” Sarita smiled. “He's coming to play."

  The floor beneath Elyse trembled, and then erupted up in a shattering of wood. A deep roar rent the air, and slowly a figure unfolded itself from the double floor below.

  It was a man, or what was left of him. Massive, his hands reaching down to his knees, arms and chest bulging with muscle. Sharp teeth gnashed the air, and his eyes glowed like red-hot coals.

  "Meet your mutant brother,” Sarita said. “He was born the same day as you. I made you both on the same day.” She started laughing, high-pitched.

  The mutant lunged for Elyse, and she sprang back, but his overlong arms wrapped around her.

  The force he used threw them both back. They hit the wall and went through it, crashing into the wall on the opposite side of the hall.

  "Elyse!” Shaque yelled from somewhere below.

  Raising both fists, the mutant brought them down towards Elyse's face, but she jerked away, catching the mutant's wrists and adding her strength to his driving force. His fists smashed into the wooden floor.

  Caught off-balance, he toppled when Elyse heaved up and rolled.

  Fury beat through her, and she was intent only on the kill.

  Grappling, they rolled across the corridor, crashing into walls, ornaments smashing around them as they knocked them over.

  The mutant caught her shirt, dragging her up to her feet, and drawing back one fist, he punched hard, catching her full on the jaw.

  Pain exploded, but it only fed her fury, and as she flew backwards, she raked her nails into the mutant's arms, grabbing on tight, feeling his flesh strip away.

  He screamed out in rage but toppled after her.

  The steps smashed beneath them as they thumped down, clawing and punching at each other.

  Voices yelled, laser fire scorching the stairs around them.

  "Elyse!” Shaque yelled her name in a mix of fear, desperation and anger.

  Over the mutant's shoulder Elyse saw Sarita at the top of the staircase. In her hands she held a laser, and she was aiming at Elyse. Laser fire from Shaque made her duck, and furious, Sarita turned to face him.

  "Get down!” Abra bellowed. “Incoming fire!'

  Laser fire seared through the windows, sizzling into the walls.

  "Attack! Attack from the outside!” Elyse caught a glimpse of Ricna crouched next to Shaque, one hand to his ear. “Nat! Menac! Report!"

  "Ship landed ... men coming out! Ten in all! They're onto us—” the communication stilled and went silent. Menac's voice didn't sound again, but the siz
zling of laser fire did.

  A claw raked down Elyse's chest, gouging deep, and Elyse refocused on the mutant attacking her.

  Roaring her fury and pain, she lunged forward, and they crashed into one of the supporting beams. Dust rained down from the roof in a choking shower, but Elyse and the mutant kept fighting, clawing.

  He clamped sharp teeth into her shoulder, ripping and tearing, and with a snarl she dug her thumbs into his eyes and pushed.

  From the corner of her eye she saw Shaque's dagger soaring through the air, landing deep in the mutant's neck.

  The mutant screamed in agony and released her.

  She round-house kicked him, sending him crashing through into the room beyond, the door swinging brokenly on the remaining hinge.

  Laser fire and voices calling harshly filled the air as the house was attacked from outside.

  "Another ship ... approaching—"

  "My son! Oh God, my son!"

  "Get Meekta out! Now!"

  A woman screaming and sobbing.

  An explosion went off from the rear, and the wall in front of Elyse collapsed, dust and smoke filling the air as more men stormed in, lasers flaring.

  One of them was aiming for Shaque, and even as Elyse pushed through the debris to get to the mutant who was struggling to its feet, she diverted and threw herself in front of Shaque, taking the laser fire in the shoulder.

  Thrown backwards against another support beam, she heard Shaque scream her name before the section of the roof caved in.

  Dirt, dust, cobwebs, wood—it came raining down. But she pushed through it, her gaze going up the ruined staircase to where Sarita was edging down, her eyes on the opening in the wall.

  She was barking out orders to several men who were coming in through the smoke haze.

  "Sarita!” Elyse roared.

  "You just don't know when to quit, do you?” Sarita laughed harshly. “Get her, my pet!"

  The debris in front of Elyse heaved and the mutant surged up. Blood poured from the gash in its head, and one eye was missing. Bellowing in combined pain and rage, it threw itself at Elyse.

  Unable to dodge the attack in the heap of building wreckage, Elyse was born to the ground, the back of her head slamming against a hard beam jutting out.

  Monstrous hands closed around her throat and started squeezing.

  Bucking, trying to rip the mutants’ hands away, Elyse gasped for breath. Kicking viciously against the side of the mutant, she was unable to break the hold from the unnaturally long arms.

  Suddenly the mutant grunted, knocked away when a body came flying through the dust to punch into its side.

  Shaque rolled with the mutant, dagger slicing in deep, over and over, stabbing into the mutant's back and neck.

  The mutant arched, roaring, then reaching over its head, he grabbed hold of Shaque's shirt and hauled him off, yanking him up off his back, over his head and slamming him onto the floor.

  Punching down, he dealt a shattering blow to Shaque, and Elyse heard bone snap.

  Drawing back its foot, it kicked Shaque savagely, sending him slamming into the wall behind him.

  "No!” Elyse roared, fear and fury combining, and grabbing a piece of metal, she pushed upward and ran at the mutant, stumbling through the debris, swinging the metal over her head.

  Even as the mutant's foot slammed viciously into Shaque's stomach, he yelled, “Run!"

  Ignoring him, Elyse swung the metal bar at the mutant's head.

  Sensing her, the mutant straightened and swung around—and the sharp edge of the metal bar sliced across his throat, severing his head neatly from his shoulders.

  The body froze as the head slipped off to land with a dull thunk on the floor. Then it toppled over.

  Elyse reached down for Shaque, only to feel the savage burn of laser fire thud into her back, burning through flesh and tissue to come out beneath her ribcage. The force of it threw her to her knees, and she found herself face to face with Shaque.

  Pain twisted his face, blood covered one side of his face, his shirt was drenched with blood, but fear for her, horror as he saw the blood blossom on her shirt, made him drag upright and reach out to touch her.

  Time seemed to stretch for a full minute, but was in reality a single second, as they stared at each other. Both were panting, both in pain. Both scared for each other.

  Around them the battle sounds faded, the voices, screams of the injured, bellowing of the fighters, and the distant searing of laser fire. It was just the two of them.

  Then an explosion rocked the house on the far wall, sending deadly splinters of wood flying, and everyone ducked.

  "Get in there and shoot anything that we don't know!” a woman shouted. “Find Elyse!"

  Jerking upright, Elyse placed herself before Shaque as she swung around—and found herself face to face with Sarita and four of her men.

  Snarling, rage bubbling so violently inside her, Elyse roared and prepared to launch herself at her.

  "Touch me, and I'll have your lover shot,” Sarita sneered.

  Growling, panting, Elyse looked sideways and saw the two men with their lasers aimed directly at Shaque.

  "Kill her,” Shaque said weakly. “Elyse, kill her!"

  "Don't,” Sarita said. “One move toward me and your hunter dies."

  Dread stole through Elyse, pushing at the mutant inside her as she struggled against her desire to protect Shaque, and her mutant rage, wanting to kill Sarita, but knowing if she leaped, she left Shaque unprotected.

  Sarita shrugged suddenly. “Just kill him anyway."

  Elyse swung around, flinging herself at Shaque, but the laser fire from the man to the side cut through her arm and burned into Shaque's chest. He jerked and went limp, his eyes fluttering a little before closing.

  "Shaque!” His name was an agonized growl bursting from her throat. “Shaque!"

  Fifteen

  Sarita's laugh echoed in the room as Elyse frantically felt for the rise and fall of Shaque's chest, but she couldn't feel anything, couldn't see anything—

  "How amusing!” Sarita mocked. “A mutant who cries. All over one hunter who is better off dead!"

  Tipping back her head, Elyse roared in rage and grief. Violence seared through her in a torrent of murderous rage.

  Pushing up fast, she leaped over the debris and went for Sarita.

  Behind her came the burst of laser fire, the confusion of men shouting, women's voices cursing.

  The smoke suddenly pouring in through the broken wall cut off the view of the men behind Sarita, and dimly Elyse heard them scream and a female voice giving hard, clipped orders.

  The last remaining window in the front of the house shattered inward.

  For the first time, Elyse saw fear in Sarita's eyes as she looked frantically around to find no one but herself facing Elyse.

  Aiming the laser at Elyse, she fired, and the heat punched into Elyse's leg, making her stumble monetarily, then start forward again. Heat seared her ribcage, punched into her shoulder.

  Shaking her arm, she felt the smooth hilt of the dagger from her wrist sheath slide into her palm, and instinctively she snapped her arm up, releasing the dagger.

  It speared through the smoky haze and thudded deep into Sarita's chest. Sarita stumbled back, fell over a beam, and looked in shock from Elyse standing over her, growling, to the dagger handle protruding from between her breasts.

  "Oh ... I ... this shouldn't have happened.” She looked up at Elyse. “No..."

  She jerked suddenly, her body arching up, and something black started to curl from her lips. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, and the black insubstantial substance seeped out through her nostrils and mouth, up from the corners of her eyes, twining up into the smoke, but denser.

  A clawed hand seemed to appear, a dim outlaw, monstrous and huge, closing around the black substance and suddenly yanking hard.

  It tore from Sarita, and she fell back to the floor.

  The substance vanished through
the ruins of the roof.

  Stepping over the beam, Elyse stood above Sarita and watched her mercilessly as she opened her mouth and tried to speak.

  Sarita's lips opened and closed, her eyes stared up with fear, but all she managed was, “Overlord..."

  And she died.

  Turning, Elyse saw the flames licking up behind her, the smoke that was pouring through from the front room, and she roared, trying to push inwards, trying to get back to find Shaque, but a wall of flames forced her to a halt.

  "Elyse!” A woman screamed. “Damn it! Elyse! Shaque! Elyse!"

  She started to lunge into the flames, wanting, needing, to find Shaque, and then she felt a little hand curl into hers, hanging on, and looking down wildly, she saw the little boy clinging to her hand.

  Blood and dirt covered him, tears streaked his face. He was terrified.

  Elyse growled down at him, not wanting him near her, wanting only Shaque.

  "I'm scared. I want my Mummy.” The boy whimpered, clinging to her hand.

  Heat from the fire singed the hairs on her arm, snapped in her face.

  "Take me to my Mummy. Please.” He tightened his grip on her.

  She wanted to push him away, knowing that Shaque burned somewhere in the fire, not wanting to continue with him dead.

  She made to step towards the fire, feeling the searing heat, only to halt again when the little boy wrapped his arms around her leg and hung on tight.

  Looking up at her, he sobbed, “Don't leave me."

  She snarled, but his face, so sweet and innocent, his eyes so big and bright with tears, made her pause.

  "I'm scared,” he whispered. “Don't leave me alone."

  Her heart was pulled two ways at once. As the flames licked closer, she ached to find Shaque and drag him from the fire, even though she knew he was dead.

  The child was alive and needed her.

  "Please,” he whispered. He looked at the fire then back at her. “If we're going to die, please hold me. I don't want to die alone."

  He was more scared of dying alone than being with a mutant.

  Leaning down, she picked him up, and stared into his face.